Valentine's Day
by TigerShadow
Summary: The holiday is about more than just chocolates and chick flicks, and it's time that Trent DeWhite understood. -oneshot; Trent/Mandy, slightly Marvin/OC-


"Trent?"

No answer.

"Trent?"

No answer.

"I feel like I'm in a Mark Twain novel, Trent! Will you just come out from wherever you're hiding?"

The boy in the closet crouched down to the floor in fear of his personal search party finding him. Feeling quite apprehensive—a feeling that had not left him all day—he looked at his watch. It was five o'clock now; at twelve, the day would be over and he would be free. He beat the back of his head against the closet wall, sank to the floor, and sighed. This was going to be the longest seven hours of his life.

He put an ear to the door. He heard no approaching or retreating footsteps. Deciding it was safe to leave, he carefully opened the door, slipped out, and ran into the nearest room—turned out to be the boys' room, thankfully—and shut the door.

It wasn't a moment too soon, either, because only about thirty seconds passed after he shut the door when he heard the voice again. "Come on, Trent, all I want to do is talk with you! Are you really this much of a coward?"

"She has a fair point there." The voice made him jump, and he barely held in a yelp of shock. "_Are_ you really that much of a coward?"

He whipped around and saw his best friend, Marvin Washington. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Marvin," he said, trying to sound as nonplussed as possible. "I thought it was you from the way you snuck up behind me like a creeper."

"That actually doesn't happen all that much," Marvin remarked. Then he pointed his finger at his bespectacled best friend. "You're the one who can't handle the holiday," he accused. "This one, out of all of them, is the one you can't face up to."

Trent ran a hand through his bangs and said nothing.

"I've seen her around, you know," Marvin continued. "And you're right—she is looking for you, and she's not happy."

Trent groaned. An unhappy Mandy could be like an unhappy wolverine—she could be vicious. Who knew what would happen? He began to mentally write out his will and to imagine what exactly heaven would be like once his agitated girlfriend was done with him.

Marvin noticed his troubled expression. "Don't give me that," he said sternly. "You're the one who does this every year. It's not my fault you have girl issues."

"It's not _girl issues_ that are the problem," Trent snapped, glaring at the boy in front of him. He sighed, allowing himself a moment to calm down, then continued. "I just…don't get it. Why does Valentines' Day have to happen? It's just a holiday meant to stress out guys because their girlfriends expect them to be the most romantic people in the world—it's just a day when girls stuff us full of love novels and chick flicks. Y'know, I'm not even convinced St. Valentine was a guy—I think it was a girl disguised as a guy who wanted to get her own holiday to celebrate guys' brains being melted by romance."

"That's not it," Marvin said, though he chuckled in spite of himself. "And you sound like your brother. I can't believe it's _me_ telling _you_ how something works—and I'm enjoying it, by the way—but Valentines' Day isn't just about mushy, girly love stuff. Maybe you just need to think about it."

"How long do you expect me to think about it?" Trent demanded, annoyed at the fact that Marvin Washington of all people was treating him like an impudent child.

"You've got about five minutes before I drag you over to talk with Mandy," Marvin replied, amusement written all over his face. "You've got time."

Trent sighed. Marvin did have a fair point; usually it was Trent telling Marvin how things were done. He was beginning to wonder whether or not Marvin had taken lessons on how to make people think from Mr. Whittaker. It was rather unlike Marvin to be the guy who makes people actually think about things, but, Trent supposed, people can change. (He had a feeling, however, that should he ever mention this thinking-things-through, philosophical side of Marvin to _anybody_, he was barely going to manage to live to tell about it.)

Because he wanted to get this over with, he did as he was told. He began deliberating the nature of Valentines' Day, and all that he had done during it. Every year it came, and every year he gave people in general a wide berth. It was just how he worked; it was the way he did things. (It was especially awkward when Valentine's Day fell on a Sunday…Marvin still wouldn't let him live it down. Granted, it was last year. But he still thought that it was unfair.)

But, he mused, didn't Mandy deserve more than that? They had been going out for a little more than two years and had been quite close previously; it wasn't like he barely knew her. He was actually very shy about romantic happenings of any kind, never mind in his own personal life. He often found himself turning beet red when Mandy was within a foot of him, and they'd kissed only once—because Marvin had tricked them into getting under mistletoe at Liz's Christmas party the previous year. Still, that was the way to handle things, wasn't it? You weren't _supposed_ to be attached at the hip of the object of your affections—that indicated lust, not love.

But then, he thought, hiding from a person who merely wanted to talk to you, spend time with you, get to know you better, wasn't a very good indicator of love either. He did love her—he didn't know whether it was platonic or romantic; he was still trying to sort it all out—so didn't he need to at least prove that to her?

His mind made up, he turned to his friend. "Well, Marvin, it's been nice talking to you, but I've got to go find my very concerned and likely scary girlfriend. See ya!"

Marvin shook his head and chuckled. Jerk. For a National Merit Semifinalist, he could be so obliviously thick-headed.

He remembered what Mr. Whittaker had taught him the day that the two of them, Mr. Walton, and Mr. Rathbone were trapped in the Electric Palace basement—Valentines' Day is about more than just romance. It's about spending time with the people you love, and letting them know how much you appreciate them, because before you know it, they're not around anymore to tell and express that to them.

As he neared the door, knowing that he was going to be late for his date with Sophie if he didn't hurry up and get out of Whit's End, he heard Trent and Mandy pass—they sounded completely and totally at ease. He was pretty sure that in a few hours, he was going to get some text from Trent talking about how fun it was and how he didn't know that it wasn't as bad as he made it out to be. _Told you so._

Marvin walked out of the bathroom, careful not to interrupt his two friends, and as he watched them—looking as carefree and happy as two five-year-olds given sweets—he could only chuckle and mutter, "Happy Valentines' Day, you idiot."


End file.
